Identification device



Sept. 16, 1969 Filed Aug. 7, 1967 J. YONCHAR IDENTIFICATION DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J'ACK YONCHAQQ BYWW? 2 4r rbPJE VS Sept. 16, 1969 J. YONCHAR 3,467,055

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW United States Patent ()1 3,467,055 IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Jack Yonchar, 722 S. Muirfield Road,

Los Angeles, Calif. 90005 Filed Aug. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 658,865 Int. Cl. B4lk 1/00 US. Cl. 118-31.5 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for preserving fingerprints of a person on a document, and including an inner backing strip, an intermediate transparent adhesive-coated strip around the backing strip, and an outer strip around the intermediate strip. The outer strip is preferably provided with a powdery substance on its outer surface. The device also has means to enable the separation of various parts of the device to enable the attachment of a portion of the adhesive-coated intermediate strip with fingerprints thereon to a document.

The invention has to do generally with means for providing identification of persons associated with a document on the document itself, such as the preservation of the fingerprints of a person negotiating a check on the check.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and im proved device for taking fingerprints of a person and preserving them on a document or other object.

There are many instances where one party to a transaction may wish to preserve some identification of the other party to the transaction. A common example is in the cashing of checks where the person accepting the check does not personally know the endorser or payee and wishes to have some identification of such person on the check itself. Also, it may be desirable to have some identification other than signatures on a document which is signed by one or more parties.

It is therefore a particular object of the invention to provide a device, complete in itself, which enables the taking and preserving of fingerprints so that the fingerprints may be taken and then preserved on the face of the document.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive, easily used device of the type indicated.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description. Referring to the drawmgs:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1, but on a larger scale and with the thickness dimensions of the parts exaggerated for clarity;

FIG. 3a is a plan view of the backing strip;

FIG. 3b is a plan or face view of the inner side of the intermediate strip;

FIG. 3c is a plan view of the inner side of the outer strip;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the device showing an initial step in the use thereof;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the outer strip partially peeled away from the intermediate strip in the second step of the use of the device;

FIG. 6 shows the next step in use after the device has been severed along the tear line and is grasped by the person whose fingerprnts are to be preserved;

FIG. 7 shows the portion of the intermediate strip which remains on the fingers of the person and which is subsequently applied to a document; and

FIG. 8 shows the face of a document, such as a check, to which the strip portion of FIG. 7 has been applied.

More particularly describing the invention, the device, generally designated 11, is made up of three main parts, namely, an inner central backing strip 12, an intermediate strip 13, and an outer strip 14.

The backing strip 12 may be formed of cardboard, plastic or other suitable substance, is preferably substantially rectangular as shown, although the plan shape thereof is not an essential feature of the invention. Intermediate its ends strip 12 is provided with a tear line 15 made by weakening the strip, as, by providing a plurality of perforations or slits 16 so that subsequently the strip may be readily torn along such tear line. The line 15 divides the surface area on both sides of the backing sheet into a relatively larger area 17 and a lesser area 18. The latter is preferably coated on both sides with a pressure-sensitive adhesive 19.

The intermediate strip 13 is formed of a clear, or transparent tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating 21 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) on one side, such, for example, as the conventional cellophane tape. This intermediate strip is adapted to be folded upon itself at the center along the fold line 22 so as to extend around one end of the backing strip 12 and overlie the two sides thereof. The intermediate strip is provided with two tear lines desig nated 23 which may be formed by a plurality of perforations 24, the tear lines being adapted to register with tear line 15 of the backing strip 12. In the view FIG. 3b, the near or inner side of the strip 13 is smooth while the opposite or outer side is coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive, as previouly pointed out. When the intermediate strip is applied around and to the backing strip the adhesive-coated side is placed outermost, and as a result, only the end portions 25 of the intermediate strip which overlie the portions 18 of the backing strip become adhered to the backing strip, leaving the portion or area 26 between the tear lines free.

The outer or covering strip 14 may be made of a thin, flexible plastic sheet material, and this is shown in FIG. 30 as having a fold line 27 at its center, since the strip is folded around the heretofore assembled backing and intermediate strips so that it extends around the other end of the backing strip and, being longer than the intermediate strip, has tab end portions 28 which extend beyond the intermediate and backing strips, as best shown in FIG. 2. The strip 14, of which the inside thereof is shown in FIG. 30, is provided on its inner surface with two highly smooth surface areas, designated 29, which may be of any type readily stripable or peelable away from the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the outer surface of the intermediate layer 13 which they overlie. Thus areas 30 of the outer strip which overlie portions 25 of the intermediate strip firmly adhere thereto, while the sections or areas 29 only lightly adhere to the intermediate strip and can be peeled away therefrom for a purpose later to be described.

Preferably the outer surface of the outer strip is coated with a powdery substance, such as talcum powder, for the purpose of coating the fingertips of the person whose fingerprints are to be preserved.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-8, in the use of the device if the outer surface of the device is coated with powder, it is first grasped, as between the thumb and forefinger of the hand 32 (FIG. 4) of the person Whose prints are to be preserved. Either such person, or anyone, then grasps the other end of the device with hand 33 (FIG. 5) and peels back the portions 28 and 29 of the outer strip to the tear lines 15, 23. The person who had previously grasped the powdered surface then grasps the exposed adhesive-coated surface 21 of the intermediate layer, as shown in FIG. 6, and retains it in his grasp, while he or someone else severs the device by tearing it along the tear lines 15 and 23. This leaves the portion 26 of the intermediate strip clinging to the persons fingers, as shown in FIG. 7, since the backing strip portion 17 can then fall away. The final step consists in removing this portion from the finger and thumb of the person and attaching it to the check or other documents 35, as shown in FIG. 8.

I claim:

1. A finger identification print device, comprising an inner backing strip'having a transverse weakened tear line intermediate its ends, a transparent intermediate strip disposed overlying continuously the sides and one end edge of said backing strip and having a pair of transverse weakened tear lines in registration with the tear line on the opposite faces of said backing strip, means securing each end portion of said intermediate strip to a side of said backing strip between the tear line and the other end of said backing strip, each outer face of said intermediate strip located between said transverse tear lines having a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive adapted to receive and retain an impression of a fingerprint thereon, and an outer strip disposed overlying the sides of said intermediate strip and around said other end of said backing strip, said outer strip having inner surface areas overlying said intermediate strip between said tear lines and said one end of said backing strip characterized by a surface finish adapted readily to peel away from the pressure-sensitive surfaces of said intermediate strip, said outer strip having free tab end portions extending beyond said one end of said backing strip and the intermediate strip whereby said pressure sensitive surfaces may be grasped by the fingers to thereby impress the desired prints and the printed intermediate strip pulled free along its lines of weakening and from the remainder of the device.

2. The identification device of claim 1 in which the outer surface of said outer strip has a coating of developing powder whereby each finger impressing a print on the pressure sensitive adhesive may thereby simultaneously deliver means to develop such print.

3. The identification device of claim 1 in which the means securing the end portions of the intermediate strip to said backing strip is an adhesive.

4. The identification device of claim 3 in which the outer surface of said outer strip has a coating of developing powder whereby each finger impressing a print on the pressure sensitive adhesive may thereby simultaneously deliver means to develop such print.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,374,208 4/1921 Jones. 1,667,542 4/1928 Flanagan. 1,833,287 11/1931 Hadley. 2,122,589 7/1938 Sirchie 117-5 X 2,500,612 3/1950 Krogh 118-31.5 2,561,400 7/1951 Morrell. 3,089,459 5/1963 Picard 11831.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 396,299 8/1933 Great Britain. 862,580 3/ 1961 Great Britain.

MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

